This was sold to me as part ‘A series of unfortunate events’ and part ‘Scooby Doo’ and honestly throw in a touch of gothic Tim Burton vibes and that’s exactly what you have!

Two pre-teens (along with their sister) are shipped off to a mysterious aunts house for the summer who promptly forces them to spend their days at a mysterious water park. It’s gothic, spooky, and definitely kooky haha. Then their sister disappears and the hi-jinx ensues! Off to her rescue scooby dooby doo *cough cough* I mean Sinister-Winterbottom twins activate!!

Anyways highly enjoyed this middle grade read and while the mystery is solved, there is an overarching mystery to their lives that isn’t solved allowing for continuing stories which I’m excited about!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

this book was so fun! i read it over two days and was sad to see it end. it was fast paced and compelling throughout. i wouldn’t say it was anything spectacular or mind blowing, but it was a quick, easy, fun read !!

This is a great start to a series that will be perfect for kids who want a good mystery that's not too heavy or dark, that won't keep them up or give them nightmares. I read it to my 9 year old (who's a huge fan of water parks), and she couldn't get enough. The villains were sinister without being scary, the voice was fun an consistent, and the characters absolutely loveable and relatable (her favorite was Theo; mine was Alexander). We thoroughly enjoyed sharing this story together. The cliffhanger and unanswered questions definitely left us wanting more, We can't wait to start the next book in the series--and hopefully find out what in the world happened with the twins' parents!

Wretched Waterpark is an interesting middle-grade mystery with a gothic water park setting. It makes perfect first book in Sinister Summer Series by introducing the series, characters, and Sinister-Winterbottom family.

I haven’t read the Unfortunate Events series but those who have read have mentioned this has a similar vibe. Writing is lucid and atmospheric with dry offbeat humor and quick banter. First half is all build-up and introduction. It takes time to get into the mystery but the characters make up for it.

I loved both Theo and Alexander. They both loved each other and always stayed together and supported each other even with their different nature and liking. All other secondary characters are mysterious and interesting. Their descriptions are hilarious and it was amusing the way the twins nicknamed them.

Setting is the best part. I wish there was a map of the park. The description of the park is outstanding. There is huge tower with gargoyles and from gargoyles’ mouths tongues twist out into long slides and those slide are named – oblivion, abandoned hope, mortal coil, afterlife, and so on; cabana looks like a mausoleum; raft to use for slide looks like a coffin, and there is a library in the waterpark! It makes a perfect gothic setting and creates an amazing creepy atmosphere but not in a terrifying way.

Mystery is not that mind-blowing. The revelation of Mr Widow’s disappearance turned out way too simple but I still liked how the twins exposed evil Mrs Widow’s sinister plan. While all mystery of the waterpark is solved here some mysteries are remained to be revealed in the next books that I’m eagerly waiting to read now.

Why 4 stars-

This felt it slow for middle-grade genre and there are slight fillers or I think writing is like that as it feels like we are reading kid rambling so which means more words used for something we can say in lesser words (I hope that makes sense). Mystery isn’t that strong and like I said some revelations were just okay.

Overall, Wretched Waterpark is fun, entertaining, and strange but interesting middle-grade mystery with an amazing gothic water park setting.

A rollicking fun book! Kiersten White nails it in this enjoyable middle grade book. The Sinister-Winterbottom twins are a pair to root for. I loved the gothic, atmospheric vibes of the story. The characters are funny and I loved the banter and laugh-out-loud moments. With lots of clues and puzzles to solve, readers will eat this story up. A wonderful first book in a new series.

This book reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events mixed with Hotel Transylvania, and I loved it! Theo and Alexander were both such strong characters in very different ways.and it was so refreshing. Twins can't always be exactly the same (especially in books for younger readers) but here I liked that they supported each other as siblings but still had their own . I thought White's semi-sarcastic writing style and the relationships between the siblings, especially the oldest sister Wil, was so great in this book. And of course, the best of all, was the waterpark itself. I wish I was reading this in the summer/fall but alas. I still enjoyed this immensely and want more!

I did not expect to enjoy this "somewhat dark" middle grade novel as much as I did, but here we are. I picked this up because I knew Kiersten White from her new release in the world of adult action/horror, Hide. This is one that I'm looking forward to continuing to read through the entire series. I'll also be pressing it into the hands of reluctant young readers... I think it will be a hit with them!

This was a perfect spooky but not too spooky, creepy but not too creepy middle grade book for the fall. Loved it and can’t wait to give it to my kids to read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this introduction to a new middle grade series.

Though this series didn't grab me, I think it will find its audience. It's a quick mystery that is somewhat reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. It wasn't quite as developed as I wished it had been, but I do think there will be a population of kids who eagerly anticipate a sequel.

I actually gave this one to my eight-year-old daughter to read, and she gave it two thumbs up. Ha! She loved the mystery elements and the characters. It was her first longer book to read and I couldn't believe how fast she read it. She's now asking for more of White's books, which we'll purchase!

I thought that this book was cute with some creative and interesting characters. I wasn't blown away by the plot twist and the ending but I think that kids looking to get into the mystery genre could really enjoy it. I thought that the setting was neat and will definitely be a draw for many readers. Overall, I think that this story will be enjoyed by kids that are looking to delve into mysteries for the first time.

I believe this is a series that will be well received in my school. It's got it all a mystery, creepiness, and adventure. The kids who love horror I think will really like it because of the creepy characters and the kids who like solving things will like those parts. Well done

We really enjoyed this fast read as a family (and ended up listening to the audiobook as well). It is just the right amount of creepy, mysterious, and amusing for the upper elementary / middle grade reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Childrens - Delacorte Press for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Is a fun and cute story sprinkled with adventure. The writer has a pretty good reputation with her books although this is the first time I'm reading a children's book of hers. There's a few more coming out in the next few months related to the series so I'm looking forward to that. Definitely recommended. #wretchedwaterpark #netgalley

White follows the pathway that Lemony Snicket laid, presenting the reader with odd scenarios that the characters largely accept as simply the way the world works. There is a larger mystery at play that is certain to be further revealed as the series progresses but this volume has a complete story all it's own. While that mystery/adventure is a fairly wild one, it never takes itself too seriously so we don't question the logic of events. While it lacks the pseudo-serious tone of Snicket's series, it has a charm all it's own. If your reader has worked through A Series of Unfortunate Events give Sinister Summer a try.

"Wretched Waterpark" by Kiersten White is the start of a series that is sure to be a favorite among middle grade readers. A great book to recommend for readers that enjoy Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

What a fun middle grades read! Wretched Waterpark, is the first in a series about the Sinister siblings and what looks to be some pretty crazy and fun adventures. I enjoyed the bits of humor tucked in to a fun mystery. The characters have great personality, the story line is well thought out, and I look forward to reading more in the series.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

The vibes and aesthetic of this story were great; other reviewers have shouted out A Series of Unfortunate Events, and I think those comparisons are totally accurate. Unfortunately, the plot itself was just one long question mark: by the end of the book, we're juggling 85 questions and very few answers, then presented with a rushed conclusion. A frustrating read for me.

2.5/5

One of my favorite books by Kiersten White is Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales, a spooky MG book that intertwines nursery rhymes and fairy tales in a really fun way. When I found out Kiersten White was writing another MG book, I was very excited! And I am happy to say that I loved Wretched Waterpark! It’s such a great, summer-y read!

Right from the beginning, I was having a great time with this book. The introduction of the characters was fun, and they all have really silly names. I mean, they are the Sinister-Winterbottoms 😂 And don’t get me started on their Aunt Safforina who knows virtually nothing about children... and seemingly, humans, in general, 👀😂 Theo, Alexander, and Will are staying with their aunt for the summer while their parents are... away. Their aunt then thinks that taking them to a waterpark is a great idea! And it would've been, have people not been freaking disappearing in said park! 😱 When the twins’ older sister Wil goes missing, they must unravel the mystery of this creepy waterpark and get their sister back.

I mentioned this before in my review of Hide, but the writing is just SO GOOD! It doesn’t matter what she writes, but Kiersten White is just a great writer! I loved every minute of this book! It was just a lot of fun! The park was really creepy, which I appreciated. The lazy river is called the River Styx, there are gargoyle faces at the waterslides, and just weirdness all around. It was great! 😆 I just loved the setting of this book. We got an abandoned amusement park in Hide, and now a creepy waterpark in this book? I am loving it!

I haven’t been reading a lot of MG lately, but it was fun to get back into the genre with this book. I loved the characters and their little quirks, the mystery was really interesting, and it was just a fun ride all around! I don't know why, but I think I might like Kiersten White’s MG more than her YA... not that her YA is bad. But this was just a lot of fun! And spooky! I loved the idea of a gothic waterpark, which is a thing in this book because Kiersten misread a headline 😂 I can't wait for the next book in the series! Apparently, they’re going to Sanguine Spa 👀